After recalling 8.7 million pounds of beef, producer shuts down

A California company that recalled 8.7 million pounds of beef products distributed in four states has been voluntarily closed, the plant’s quality control manager confirmed Monday.

Rancho Feeding Corp. of Petaluma, Calif., on Saturday recalled the beef products sold to retailers and distributors. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said the plant “processed diseased and unsound animals” without a full federal inspection.

As a result, the agency said, the “products are … unsound, unwholesome or otherwise are unfit for human food and must be removed from commerce.”

There have been no reported illnesses linked to the beef products in question, the company and the USDA said.

The affected beef products include whole carcasses, beef heads and 30-pound boxes of beef oxtail and cheeks. The company also recalled 30- and 60-pound boxes of beef tongue, tripe and veal cuts.

In a statement, Scott Parks, the plant’s quality control manager, said the plant enacted the recall “out of an abundance of caution” and that the company regrets the inconvenience to its customers.

Parks declined to answer questions about specific customers the meat was sold to, and said Rancho Feeding Corp. is compiling a full list.

The company last month issued a recall of nearly 42,000 pounds of beef products because they did not have a full federal inspection.

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